Underground incinerator



United States Patent [72] Inventor Stanley R. Wilson I 210 West Eighth St., Muleshoe, Tex. 79347 [21] Appl. No. 773,616 [22] Filed Nov. 5. 1968 [45] Patented Dec. 15, 1970 [54] UNDERGROUND INCINERATOR 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

-[52] U.S.Cl 110/18 [51] int. Cl F23g 9/00 [50] Field of Search 220/24, 30, 55, 59,60; 292/202, 228; 110/8,18, 19

[56] References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,565,120 12/1925 Thomspon 110/19 2,468,353 4/1949 Weinke 292/228 2,531,859 11/1950 Mock .4 292/228X 2,893,775 7/1959 George 292/228X 3,039,647 6/1962 Rasmussen l 10/18X 3,173,568 3/1965 Magnuson 110/18X Primary Examiner-Kenneth W. Sprague At!0rneyClarence A. OBrien & Harvey B. Jacobson ABSTRACT: The present invention is adapted for use with a bored-burning chamber formed in the ground. The invention includes an opened enclosure communicating with the burning chamber, and a pivotally mounted grill which can be displaced to selectively open or close the upper opening of the enclosure. Spring-biased latch means are provided to retain the grill in a closed position when trash is being incinerated in the burning chamber.

UNDERGROUND INCINERATOR The prior art includes a wide variety of trash incinerators.

be opened after the 'incinerating process thereby gravitationally allowing the depositing of burned trashinto the bore. Therefore, the bore serves a dual function, namely as a storage area for burned trash and for receiving the receptacle when not in use. Otherprior devices include a bore formed in the ground which is lined with a proper refractory or metallic material. However, as will be appreciated, after extended use, this material requires maintenance or replacement.

This invention presents basic and inherent advantages over the prior art in that the combustion or'burning chamber is a bore formed in the earth which'is not subject to the corrosion or deterioration that prior art devices experience. Further, the invention has the further advantage of requiring no burner, combustion being induced by simply igniting the trash deposited in the bored burning chamber.

This invention presents basic and inherent advantages over the prior art in that the combustion or burning chamber is a bore formed in the earth which is not subject to the corrosion or deterioration that prior art devices experience. Further, the

invention has the further advantage of requiring no burner, combustion being induced. by simply igniting thev trash deposited in the bored burning chamber.

Due to the repetitive incineration of residue trash, materials such as metal containers and glass bottles continually experience decomposition and experience dictates that this decomposition continues to such an extent that the boredburning chamber is sufficient to accommodate the needs of an average family fora protracted period of time. In one particular installation of the present invention,'a, bored-burning chamber having a depth of l feet and a diameter of 50 inches was found to accommodate an average family for a period between 36 and 60 months. As will be appreciated, combustible'material such as papenwood and the like are substantially full-y burned due to the repeatedincineration-to which this materialis'subjected. v 1

Due to the difference in density of the ambient air and the heated flue gaseswhich results from combustion, a draft or induced circulation results. The aforementioned design permits the air movement to develop velocity estimated at between 5. and 8 feet per second. The large open area at the top of the enclosure covering the burning chamber combined with the stack" effect of the burning chamber interior wall are contributing factors to satisfactorily complete combustion without introducing secondary air into theburning chamber which would necessitate additional boring of the earth and additional conduit apparatus. 7

Due to the simplicity of forming the burning chamber by digging or boring, it is economically feasible and convenient to remove the enclosure from a first substantially filled chamber and reusing the enclosure with a newly fonned chamber nearby. The esthetic appearance of a lawn, wherein the chambers are formed, can be conserved by fillinglthe remainder of the substantially filled bore with top soil covered by lawn sod. Thus, the present invention affords the advantage of forming new incinerators .by merely moving a grill enclosure to a newly formed ground bore. The apparatus is inexpensive to fabricate and convenient to use.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being has had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like part 5 throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the position of the present invention over a ground bore serving as a burning chamber.

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view taken along a plane passing through section line 2-2 of FIG. I.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the present invention to illustrate its disposition in relation to a bored-burning chamber and its anchoring thereover.

FIG. 4 is a detailed plan view of a latching mechanism employed to retain a grill in closing relation with the enclosure.

. Referring to the FIGS. and more particularly to FIG. I, the

I present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10 and is seen to be disposed in upward axial spaced alignment with a bored-burning chamber 12 formed in the ground denoted by 14. As seen in the HQ, the invention principally consists of a cylindrical slab 16 preferably fabricated from concrete, metal or the like.

In FIG. 3 there is shown the disposition of a disc-shaped slab 16 within a circular recess 18 formed in the top soil 20. This arrangement serves as a means for anchoring the open boxlike enclosure 24 which is integrally connected to the slab or base element 16. As will be noted, the interior surfaces 22 of the enclosure 24 are positioned in concentric, axially aligned relation with the bored chamber 12. The combination of enclosure 24 and base element 16 may be considered as a capping assembly for the bored chamber 12. i

As seen in FIG. 3, the enclosure 24 includes a rectangular upper edge 26 providing a ledge for supporting a rectangular grill or screen member, generally indicated by 28. The grill member is pivotally connected to one edge of the rectangular ledge 26 by a hinge assembly comprising a pair of spaced generally U-shaped members 30 projecting upwardly from the edge 31 of rectangular ledge 26. The rectangular grill member 28 includes journal elements 32 coaxially engaging each of the U-shaped members 30 thereby forming two spaced hinges for permitting pivotal upward displacement of the grill assembly to an upwardly inclined position as indicated by 36. The grill member 28, when down, prevents persons from falling into the enclosure.

Considering FIG. 1, it will be seen that the rectangular periphery of grill member 28 is substantially equal to the peripheral dimension of enclosure ledge 26 so that the grill member may be supported thereon in a closed position. The main purpose of the grill is to prevent escape of large-burning ashes. Although the grill member is shown with large openings therein, smaller openings could be employed if desired by using-a screen member with smaller openings. In utilizing the device, the grill member 26 is raised to an upwardly inclined position as shown by 36 and retained in that position by a pivotally mounted support bar 38 being pivotally connected to a corresponding side of grill member 28 by means of a hinge or pivotal joint 40. The opposite end of the support bar 38 is free to frictionally engage the upper edge 26 thereby retaining the grill member in its raised position. By merely moving the free end 42 forwardly, the grill member may be positioned in overlying relation with rectangular ledge 26 which results in the intermediary disposition of the bar member 38 between ledge 26 and grill member 28 as indicated by 43.

With the grill member in the raised position, access to the burning chamber 12 is made available. Trash can then be lighted and the grill member lowered to prevent the escape of ashes. In order to retain the grill member in its lowered position, a latching assembly generally denoted by 44 is shown in FIG. 4. The latch keeper or ear 42 characterized by an L- shaped pin projects upwardly from the front ledge 43 wherein the horizontal portion of the projecting keeper extends rearwardly toward the hinged edge of the grill member.

Considering the latch component shown in FIG. 4, an elongated blade member 45 is pivotally mounted at one end of blade 45 includes an aperture 52 therein which mounts the first end of a coil spring 64. The opposite end of the spring engages an adjacently positioned grill element 65 which is substantially parallel to blade 45. The purpose of the spring is to normally bias the blade in parallel relation with grill element 65. lmmediately forwardly of apertures 62 is a transversely extending latch element 66 which is generally rectangular but includes an outward edge 68 formed at an inward incline.

Latching action is achieved by manipulating handle 70 formed on the forward end portion of blade 45 so that latch element 66 engages the underside of deeper element 42. When so engaged, the blade 45 and connected grill member 28 are prevented from upward displacement. Parallel grill elements 72 and 74 formed outwardly in spaced relation to aforementioned element 50 are disposed in overlying engagement with the upper surface of blade 45. The combination of grill elements 50 and 52 engage the undersurfaeeof blade 45 while the grill elements 72 and 74 engage the upper surface of blade 45 thereby preventing bending displacement of the blade 45 with respect to the grill member. As will be seen in H6. 4, spring 64 biases blade 45 in a manner retaining engagement between latch element 66 and keeper 42.

When it is desired to raise grill member 28 for purposes of depositing trash therein, the handle 70 is pivotally displaced as indicated by reference numeral 72 thereby disengaging latch element 66 and keeper 42 which permits upward displacement of the grill member. The reverse procedure is followed when the grill member is lowered during an incineration process.

Although not shown, eye fasteners may be connected to the latch handle 70 and the enclosure 24- for allowing insertion of a security padlock therethrough.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

lclaim:

1. An incinerator cover assembly for capping a bored-buming chamber formed in the ground comprising an enclosure adapted for positioning above a burning chamber in communication therewith, the enclosure having an open top and an open bottom, anchor means connected to the enclosure for securing the enclosure in position over a burning chamber, grill means, means pivotally mounting the grill means to the enclosure for allowing selective closing of the enclosure during periods of incineration, latching means for selectively securing the grill means in closing relation with the enclosure, and collapsible grill support means for retaining the grill means in an open positionto permit trash deposits into the burning chamber.

2. The device set forth in claim 1 wherein the enclosure has a normally upwardly facing ledge and anchor means connected to a lower portion of the enclosure to retain the same in a secured position of the enclosure to retain the same in a secured position in the ground.

3. The device set forth in claim 2 together with means pivotally mounting the grill to the upper enclosure ledge, the grill being pivotally raisable to permit the insertion of trash therethrough.

4. The device set forth in claim 3 together with collapsible means for supporting the grill in a raised elevated position, the support means being collapsible to a flat nonobstructing position between the lowered grill and the upper enclosure ledge.

5. The device set forth in claim 4 together with latch means connected to the grill and latch keeper means connected to the enclosure and projecting outwardly therefrom to engage the latch means when the same is displaced to a first position, displacement of the latch means to a second position freeing the grill to allow the opening thereof.

6. An incinerator cover assembly for capping a bored-burning chamber formed in the ground comprising an enclosure adapted for positioning above a burning chamber in communication therewith, the enclosure having an open top and an open bottom, anchor means connected to the enclosure for securing the enclosure in position over a burning chamber, grill means, means pivotally mounting the grill means to the enclosure for allowing selective opening and closing of the enclosure during periods of trash deposit and incineration, respectively, and latching means for selectively securing the grill means in closing relation with the enclosure.

7. An incinerator cover assembly for capping a burning chamber formed in the ground, the assembly comprising an enclosure adapted for positioning above the burning chamber in communication therewith, the enclosure having an open top and an open bottom, anchor means connected to the enclosure for securing the enclosure in position over a burning chamber, grill means, means mounting the grill means to the enclosure for allowing selective opening and closing of the enclosure during periods of trash deposit and incineration, respectively. 

